There’s no denying that Pappy Van Winkle is the most sought-after American whiskey in the world. And for good reason — it’s pretty damn good whiskey. It’s also some of the most expensive American bourbon and rye brands on the shelf. But it’s not supposed to be. The suggested retail price from Buffalo Trace Distillery for Pappy bottles — there are six expressions — ranges from $69 (10-year Old Rip) to $299 (Pappy 23-year) per bottle.
The real-world prices of those bottles range from $1,000 for an Old Rip to up to $5k for a Pappy 23. Ouch.
If you’re incredibly lucky and ferocious in chasing bottles, you don’t have to pay those aftermarket prices if you want to drink some Pappy. It’s certainly the easiest way to get bottles of the brand, but it’s not the only way. You really have to be on top of your game to score a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle at suggested retail. And the only real way is to know when the bottles are released on the open market.
Pappy Van Winkle’s lineup — Old Rip Van Winkle 10-Year, Van Winkle Special Reserve “Lot B” 12-Year, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15-Year, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20-Year, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23-Year, and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye — are all released once per year. That “once-a-year” release schedule means that there are vintages of Pappy out there. The 2020 vintage, for instance, or the 2017 Pappy, etc. That also raises the cost of some bottles, as some years are simply more sought after than others, for various reasons (similar to wine).
So when is Pappy released every year? November. That’s the time. Though some start to trickle out in late October.
Pappy is released just in time for the holiday buying/celebrating season. Since the bottles are highly allocated, only a select few cases go to prime retailers, bars, and restaurants. When it comes to retailers, you’re going to have to be a member in good standing and enter a lottery to get a chance to buy a bottle at the suggested retail. Otherwise, you’ll be paying a secondary markup that’s completely up to the whims of the retailers. The only other avenue is pours at good whiskey bars and restaurants that receive an allocation.
If you want to dive deeper, read our full Pappy line review for 2023 here. If you are interested in understanding different Pappy vintages, check our 2022 line review here. 2020’s line review is here.
For a more robust Pappy Van Winkle buying guide, see here. Good luck out there, Pappy stans!
